On the occasion of the International Day of Democracy, the European Union reaffirms its commitment towards democracy as a fundamental right of every human being. Every woman and every man has to be free to participate to the political, economic and social life of her or his country.

On this first International Day commemorating the victims of acts of violence based on religion or belief, we pay tribute to all those around the world who lost their lives and suffered attacks because of their religion or belief. Persecution as a response to religious belief or affiliation, or lack thereof, is a violation of international law and requires joint work to combat it.

As we mark the International Criminal Justice Day, the European Union reaffirms its longstanding support towards the international criminal justice system and in particular its unwavering commitment to the International Criminal Court (ICC), as part of the EU's wider commitment to a rules-based international order.

The Council today adopted conclusions on the EU's priorities at the 74th UN General Assembly(September 2019 – September 2020). These conclusions complements the Council conclusions on strengthening multilateralism which were adopted on 17 June 2019.

The Council today adopted conclusions welcoming the publication of the first joint synthesis report of the EU and its member states on ''Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals across the world'' as an important contribution to EU reporting at the High Level Political Forum in 2019. The Council welcomes the collective contribution of the EU and its member states to the implementation of all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the world, leveraging all means of implementation, in support of the 2030 Agenda.